All Hallows Eve
by SilkenBone922
Summary: Trick or Treat. A twisted fairytale-esque Halloween fic starring Blair, Chuck, Dan, Nate, Georgina and Serena.
1. Chapter 1

"Find Me Here  
Speak To Me  
I want to feel you  
I need to hear you  
You are the light  
That's leading me  
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.  
You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.  
You are the light to my soul.  
You are my purpose...you're everything.

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.  
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.  
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.  
Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

Cause you're all I want, You're all I need  
You're everything,everything  
You're all I want your all I need  
You're everything, everything.  
You're all I want you're all I need.  
You're everything, everything  
You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?  
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?  
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?"

Everything- Lifehouse

It's his very first social event since Bart's death and all he can think about is how stupidly adamant his father always was that he bring a date to these shin digs. "Give the right impression," he called it. As though one night as an escort would redeem his past indiscretions.

He _is_ the face of Bass enterprises now and his father's words ring truer than ever before. And because he is so angry that his father is still dictating his every action from the grave, he resolves to pick the sluttiest ho in the tristate area. A moment to ponder and his list now begin and ends with Georgina Sparks. She's not just a tramp, she's a blue blooded tramp and that means the only person to be fully conscious of the insult he intends to inflict is his dead father. _Excellent._

He almost smiles when he picks her up, the door opening after a decent half hour of waiting in the vestibule of her apartment and helping himself to what is the first of the many Scotches the evening will bring. Because she's wearing a wedding dress- the Victorian kind with yards of white lace trailing behind her as she crosses the room. It's more conservative than anything he's ever seen her wear before, with a corseted bodice, sweetheart neckline and long sleeves. Only when his gaze leaves her bosom and reaches the smoky blue eyes and ebony curls that he realizes it's still her. There is movie blood splattered down the front- it suddenly clicks that she is dressed as the Bride of Chucky.

His Zorro mask is clearly irrelevant.

She slips her fingers through the crook of his elbow and he tries not to think about how no one has done that since his father's wedding. There's this one photograph that is stuck into his new wallet. Lily had the maid put it there. Its one of him and _her_. He remembers being stunned by it and never having the courage to throw it away. Chuck puts that memory out of his mind. He doesn't want to remember that he is a coward.

It brings up far too much bitterness and he can't be audacious and bitter at the same time. Well, he can but it's a _challenge_ and he's too tired now.

They step over the threshold of the Waldorf Astoria and the tightness in his chest is augmented because it's more than just the name that reminds him of her. It's the Old Hollywood glamour, the fine wine and the scent of freesias. He can't breathe because she's the air around him.

Serena is slinking around with Humphrey and her new boy toy, clearly playing them against each other. It seems to be working until she plants a kiss on Aaron's lips. Because something inside Dan snaps right then and the desperation that's coloured his emotions for so long is gone. The stony look on his face is one Chuck has only seen once before. In a mirror.

The thought is so disturbing that he promptly resolves to get very drunk. And then his date leads him to the bar, whispering sweet nothings in his ear, with a wicked smile on her lips- telling him how grateful she is for the reprieve and she seems to assume it's some kind of trans continental booty call.

He thinks he just might kiss her because he remembers all of a sudden that her lips used to taste of berries once upon a time. Would the flavour still linger?

She looks sexy as sin and he's just about to commit when they are rudely interrupted by some loser in tuxedo, calling her Miss Swan and wooing her in the style of some crass new romantic hero. He's apparently mistaken Georgie for a normal gooey eyed teenage girl.

Gross misconception as that it, Sparks takes it in her stride. Her voice is shaking with laughter as she explains her costume. "And," here she concludes, with relish, "Is Chucky."

The guy's backing off but Chuck's already lost interest. The girl on his arm and the drink in his hand suddenly make no sense because he's already drunk, stoned, high and completely gonzo the moment Blair Waldorf steps into the room. She's the Queen of Hearts and he allows himself a moment to appreciate her astounding beauty and the fact that his cravat is the same deep red as her gown. Once again they match, without even trying. He's scared that any moment now he's bound to forget that he's turned the tables and she's supposed to be chasing him. He is so intoxicated by her presence it's a miracle he doesn't fall on bended knee and beg her to take him back.

And then she's disengaging herself from the clasp of the courtier on her arm. She's moving towards him, the crowd parting before her like the Red Sea for Moses.

"One dance?" The plea in her eyes belies the confident tone.

He takes her in his arms wordlessly and they step onto the dance floor. He feels her sigh as their bodies collide and he gulps.

The rich, decadent and utterly meaningless world around them melts away and they are circling each other. Dancers, lovers, warriors. In that moment they are all that exists and all that will ever matter. Her heart is thudding frantically when he pulls her back in and it shocks him how well she melds into his embrace. The music rises and falls, the sole memory of their lost world and last dance. She's weaving this spell that transports them both into the past and he remembers a time when physical intimacy was enough. This thing they have has spun out of proportion and out of control. Their last two dances ended on the premise of fear for either of them. This time they are completely in sync and both are terrified out of their wits.

They are spinning out of control and when her skin slips against his; its electric and he can feel the air around them crackle and sizzle. She gasps as his grip on her tightens. She's swept off her feet in the literal strength of the word and astounded by how easily he lifts her up. He dips her back flawlessly- one last move before this moment they share ends. Everyone is transfixed by them when they fall apart. He realizes the dance floor is empty. It's the cinematic scene she's always dreamed of.

"I want you," she breathes. And he can feel himself break. It takes all his resolution to shake his head. Her dark eyes dart in Georgina's direction and he hates the desperate hurt on her face.

"Why are you here with her?" Her eyes are watering up.

"I meant what I said." He wishes he could make her see. Walking away is the most romantic thing he's ever done. And he'll do so as many times as he has to. Till the future finally catches up with them.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's part of a **follow-my-leader game of second best** we have all been playing. Rose, with Simon, Simon with me, me with Stephen and Stephen, I suppose, with that detestable Leda Fox-Cotton. It isn't a very good game; **the people you play it with are apt to get hurt.** Perhaps even Leda has though I can't say the thought of it harrows me very much."- I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Dan Humphrey is already out there- on the balcony and the irony of his presence isn't lost on her. He is partly responsible for the anguish she feels right now.

"Blair-"he starts, stopping when he sees the stream of tears running down her cheeks. The wet streaks make tracks through her make up and she's sniffling. He reaches out a hand to comfort her and it's retracted with the same speed that cut off his words. She may be broken but she's still Blair.

"Don't bother, Humphrey," she replies in a small voice, "Serena already explained your motive."

They stand in silence and its excruciating. The only sounds are the cars whizzing by below, the rustling of her silk dress and the sobs that rack her tiny body.

"Did you ever even ask Vanessa to explain the heinous way I treated her?" asks Blair suddenly, her head shooting up as she snaps towards him. "Did she tell you why I wanted to ruin her?"

He shakes his head. He won't apologize. Vanessa is his best friend and she's_ better_ than all of them. He can trust her to be right without asking any questions.

"She was blackmailing me. With the picture of Catherine and Marcus."

Her dull voice livens in sadistic animation at the horror stamped on his features.

"That's right, Cabbage Patch," she continued, her voice bitter beneath the taunting tone, "She was blackmailing me for something that wasn't even my fault. She was threatening to show the whole world that Marcus wasn't just my third boyfriend. He was the third guy who cheated on me with some sublime blonde goddess. And I just didn't want to be ridiculed again. Rejection and betrayal is bad enough without your humiliation being broadcast."

She's back to weeping now and he feels the guilt wash over him as he takes in her grief. She's right. He has no right to judge. They've all fallen a prey to the hierarchy they claimed to hate. His dad, Jenny and even Vanessa. Even him.

And his own words are stabbing him. The careless statement that he didn't care about Blair comes back to haunt him. She had entrusted him with her care taking with the same faith that Serena had in him and he has abused it. Over the last year, he's punched two guys, plotted revenge against a girl he kissed of his own accord, hooked up with girls over the summer with absolutely no intention of calling them back, exploited some ones emotions for a good story and sabotaged the relationship of two people who actually care about each other. Losing his virginity seems like an insignificant development in comparison.

For what is conceivably the first time in his life, Daniel Humphrey is speechless and ashamed of everything he's ever said about Blair Waldorf. Because he has absolutely no right to judge her.

"I thought it was just another game for you two."

"Chuck was wrong. We aren't stuck in this game of our own accord. We could work as a normal couple if only people would let us. It's people like you and your expectations that have ruined this for us. We're too used to falling in line with everyone else perceptions and their expectations. We lost sight of what was important."

It's another blow because now he's contemplating the idea that while a reunited Chuck and Blair might possibly spell doom for the Upper East Side, it's also possible that once their war terminates peacefully the casualties will eventually dwindle. Before he can think of something to say she's climbed on to her feet and is swishing out. He actually finds himself wishing she'd stayed. _How very odd_.

Back in the ballroom, Charles Bartholomew Bass is confronted by something he never thought he's see- A hurt Georgina Sparks. He's not sure what stunned him more; the pain in her blue eyes or the speed with which it vanishes. The psychotic grin is plastered over her face and it's a mask. Because even without costumes they are all hiding from something.

"Chuck," she admonishes, her voice dangerously silky, "Why didn't you tell me that my task for tonight was to make Blair Waldorf jealous? You know I always work best with a plan."

The next thing he knows, they're pressed up together in a coat closet and her drink heavy breath is filling his mouth and he can still taste the berries on her tongue. Her bony fingers are gripping his hair and she put all the force her tiny frame could possibly hold into his lips. The kiss is pleasurable but it can't compare with the earth shattering wonder of Blair's embrace. He is angry to be thinking of _her_ when there is this hot, willing woman writhing in his arms, using all the tricks that charmed his virginity away in the first place.

Georgie breaks away first, the catastrophic pain in her eyes doubled. He reads shock there too. Go _figure_.

"She's broken you, Chucky," she spits out in a hoarse, demented whisper. Her small hands push him into the furs and she bangs the door on her way out.

The humiliation is matter of course by now. Georgina never did like playing second best, not even to Serena. He resolves to drink himself to death. After all; if it was good enough for Daddy Dearest it ought to be good enough for him.

Sparks is still shaking as she her way to the exit, a thread bare military jacket wrapped around her tiny form. In a flurry of white and army green she smashes into an almost stranger; a certain handsome prince we know so well. And as his inherent chivalry forces him to respond to her distress, our damsel arrives at the conclusion that _perhaps_ the night could be salvaged. After all- the clock has yet to stike twelve.


	3. Chapter 3

"Tis now the very witching time of night

When church yards yawn, and hell itself

breahes out

Contagion to this world."

Hamlet- Shakespeare

Her fingers sweep across his jaw and rest at his chin, tilting it downwards so that their lips might meet. He cannot draw back because he's transfixed by the expression her face. It is completely unusual to perceive anything but utter insanity on Georgina Sparks countenance and yet he could almost swear that he sees the glimpse of a kindred soul. The only person as lost as he is.

Granted none of the UES kids have had the happiest of childhoods but they each had their anchors, something that held their world in place. He and Georgie have no center and their two disordered universes crash spectacularily when they kiss. Her mouth is soft and pouty and Chuck is right she does taste of berries.

She is _such_ a contrast to needy Blair, ditzy Serena, complicated Vanessa and over zealous Jenny that he can't help the relief flooding through him. Just like it feels when he can breathe again she's stealing his breath and replacing it with her own. His hands are running over her translucent skin as of their own accord and she's dragging him away.

They're out in the open and the cold crisp breeze is mussing their hair. Her dress sashays behind her as she climbs into the carriage. A chuckle is fizzing within him like old champagne as he mounts up after her. It's ridiculously romantic to be driving through New York at midnight in a chaise and four with _Georgina Sparks_ no less.

Kissing her is exhilarating and he senses she has the upper hand. She is the more experienced of the two and its exciting for both of them. She won't bother to rein in all the pent up violent passion that she feels because as far as she's concerned if the Archibald kid wants to fuck Whoregina he better step up his game. And if its Chuck's skilled fingers she misses than the wiry strength in Nate's muscular arms more than makes up for it.

The carriage is bowling through the streets, past lampposts and sky scrapers and the distinct flavour of Scotch at the back of her tongue warns him that this is not her first lip lock of the night. He convinces himself that he is not jealous. The wind whips their faces and their clutching embrace morphs into an artistically agressive expression of all that is wrong in the world. And they both have horror stories pouring into each others mouths. He sighs when they screech to a halt and they fall apart. Its only when they finally reach her bedroom that he's completely blown away.

The long row of buttons down her back are undone and she is rising from the frothy gown like a mermaid from the waves. He cannot believe that he has never realized how pretty she is. Mad, certainly but pretty none the less.

There is black lace under the white but he resists the temptation to rip it off. He's careful and she's not sure what to make of it. The tables are turned as he creeps towards her, hands around her tiny waist; holding her close. He tells himself that he is not trying to recreate his one and only night with Blair but the lump at the back of his throat makes him wonder if that was the only time he ever had sex that was meaningful and romantic. It was always going to be hard to top that- making love to the girl he always thought he was going to marry, but he's never really thought about it before. It occurs to him then that this entire encounter with Georgina has been wordless and words he's learnt carry meaning. But he doesnt know what words to speak and all of a sudden he's lost in a drunken reverie of what exactly he's doing and who with.

Georgina's little white teeth sink into his shoulder, putting an end to all coherency of thought and he lets out a cry. The stale laughter, bitter and rich soon follows. He has after all been holding it in all night- ever since Chuck and Blairs little performance actually because it made him feel like he's always been blind. Her own husky giggle bubbles forth to meet his. Her eyes are glinting as she flips them over and straddles him, wicked cackle dying as the mood changes. Her presence is intoxicating- he realizes he hasnt touched a drink all night so the numbness of his mind can only be attributed to dizzying qualities of her mouth.

Something about the moonlight dappled over her pale skin and the feeling of lethargic pleasure that seeps into his bones ensures that this night will be unforgettable. She is poison but it's already running through his veins from the blood on his broken lip. She's still psychotic but now he is too- the golden boy corrupted by the blackest sheep there ever was.

A homeless Prince Charming and his mad beautiful heiress screw like bunnies till the wee hours of night and they both know that meaningless as this may seem; nothing will ever be the same again.


	4. Chapter 4

** "Its a Bitter Sweet symphony thats Life"**

Serena van der Woodsen acknowledges that her dislike of Halloween was her only failing as a hard core party girl. Georgina had always owned this holiday in much the same way as Christmas had always belonged to Blair.

The blonde won Valentine's Day by default simply due to the sheer volume of flowers and chocolates that made their way to her door.

However, a soiree at the Waldorf-Astoria was not to be scoffed at so she donned her second best Givenchy gown and threw on a Cinderella mask. The gold tulle skirt is eerily reminiscent of the dress from the Shepherd wedding that it brought a well known pang to her chest.

She misses Chuck and Blair's little performance because she was hunched over the toilet, puking. And no, before you ask, the irony of the night isn't list on her. Blair steals the spotlight while S purges. One couldn't ask for a better utopia.

Aaron didn't seem to miss her much. He was busy with Vanessa when she returned. She's oddly transfixed by the sight of them talking, the memory of his kiss turning sour on her lips. It seems fitting- After all she did magic away Dan right from under V's nose did she not?

So she seeks out her drunken rake of a step brother. He is alone at the bar and Blair's absence is palpable but the murderous glint that she expects to see in his eyes is missing. He looks rather forlorn- well as forlorn as a Scotch touting, Armani wearing playboy can possibly look.

"Pick you poison," he speaks harshly, when she nudges him for a drink.

Three Martinis later and they're traipsing to the back room. Chuck doesn't reach out to help her when she elaborately trips and he doesn't notice that she's giggling like she's more than just tipsy, or when she flicks her gorgeous blond hair over one bare shoulder. It takes her a second to process how different he and Nate really are and it's the very first time she's seen this comparison in a positive light.

She is falling back onto the couch, leg stretched in the air, one lazy blue eye blinking in his direction, while he nurses his drink with both hands. His hair is slightly disheveled and his tie is askew but he looks kind of miserable- almost like he doesn't care.

Timing has never been Dan Humphrey's strong suit so he picks this instant to make his entrance. Serena scrambles to her feet and straightens her gown haphazardly, garnering a dark glance from her ex boyfriend.

"I thought I saw Georgina," he mumbles, barely coherent, his voice trailing off when he spots Chuck, sprawled over an arm chair. Dan gulps a little at his furrowed brow and stormy hazel eyes, when he thinks about the extensive role he's played in putting it there.

And also because there is more than one brunette on his mind at the moment.

Serena's sober now; her blood shot eyes wild with worry. "What is she doing here?" she half shrieks.

A lazy drawl from behind them informs her that she was here as Mr. Bass' date. A single Ferragamo heel is aimed at Mr. Bass' head. Serena, Dan notes has excellent aim.

"I haven't seen Nate or Blair either," Dan offers when Serena questions him about the Bitch's whereabouts.

There is a flicker of uncertain concern on Chuck's countenance but it vanishes as fast as his drink. The boy from Brooklyn is a little thrown off by this. As far as he can remember- and truthfully he chooses to forget- Georgina Sparks is troublesome but not dangerous.

He attributes much of the blonde's frantic anxiety to the fact that he could have caught her in a potentially compromising position with her pseudo sibling and he cringes at the thought. He's seen Bass in action [again something he chooses to forget] and presumes that incest would not be an insurmountable barrier.

He has the foresight to dodge out of her way in her mad dash to the door and her proximity still blocks his lungs. Its really not the time or place for such concerns but he is once more longing for the day that he will finally stop loving Serena van der Woodsen.

"You should be worried about your new friend. Nate tends to get away from his baby sitters in the sneakiest ways and Georgina Sparks would be an excellent example."

Dan shoots a confused look at Chuck; the boy's biting words rouse him from his reverie.

The drink has loosened his tongue and he shouldn't make another confession to Humphrey but he's sorely tempted to do so. Part of it is this urge to confide whenever Lonely Boy is around, regardless of its disastrous consequences. Part of it is the need to make him shiver in his boots.

So he starts his tale in a low raspy voice; so overtly creepy that a flashlight under his chin wouldn't have been uncalled for. He tells Dan the story of how he lost his virginity at an eighth grade birthday party. Blair's birthday party and they both wince at that.

He told him about how Georgie Sparks pushed him into a broom closet and impaled herself on him, deflowering him with about as much dignity as Florentino Ariza had been granted. And how she had tastefully brought up his mother name at the eve of Chuck's first climax. Little Chuck Bass had many more sordid details to deliver but Dan was already looking a little queasy and he didn't want hurl all over the plush carpet.

"Aren't you the least bit worried about Blair?" demands Dan, one hand on the door knob, assuming that a scorned Georgina would certainly get her revenge on the people who mattered most to Charles Bartholomew Bass. No prizes for guessing who. Shit. He meant Nate of course. He hopes he didn't wince visibly at the sound of her name.

"Blair would never leave with Georgina. I know her better than you do." The deadly quiet in his voice is a challenge. Chuck is battling the painful recollection of Dan's face looming over him in the dark stairwell telling him that he was the reason Blair wouldn't tell him she loved him. The knowledge that she had run to Humphrey for advice in much the same way she had once consulted Chuck about Nate was a deep blow.

He knew she was the only one for him- none before and none after. She and she alone was the only girl to touch his heart, through the layers of arrogance, insecurity and lust. It was all too easy to forget that she had loved before him and therefore didn't it stand to reason that her heart could accept another again?

All cards are on the table. Brown eyes capture black and both are locked in a heated gaze, the challenge to back down hangs in the air between them. This is the last hand after all and only one victor can emerge.

They have been enemies in every respect, in every imaginable situation. The moral clash, the sullied reputation and the dalliance with the sister. The black eye and this new feeling of rivalry though neither knew exactly what they vie for.

And then Dan's out into the night and the wind whips him with such spectacular force that he feels like he could be knocked off his feet. He pulls himself upright like the knight in shining armor he believes himself to be, shuddering a little because the military jacket he'd worn to the party is missing from the coat room. He's combed the place and the heiress he searches for is not present. The city in all its nightly glory presents itself to him with the whisper of a promise, the glittering haystack for his solitary needle. He spares one glance to the magnificent hotel as he exits it, realizing that he may have left the building but its menacing shadow still engulfs him.

For one crazy moment he can feel his adversary's eyes on him. Game on. Again.

A/N; There is a dramatic and highly charged sequel in the works for this story. Please tell me if you would all like me to omplete these threads in a new story.


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